Advertising medium or toy



April 9, 1935. R. M. STALKER ADVERTISING MEDIUM OR TOY 7. Filed April27, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR April 9, 1935.. STALKER 1,997,022

ADVERTISING MEDIUM OR TOY Filed April 27, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedApr. 9, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADVERTISING MEDIUM on TOY RalphM. Stalker, Bogota, 4N. J.

Application April 27, 1933, Serial No. 668,172 13 Claims. (01. 46-37)The object of the present invention is to provide a novelty which may beused as a toy or as an advertising medium, and tothis end the inventioncomprises a plurality of tetrahedron V members or bodies flexiblyconnected together.

"The flexibly connected tetrahedron bodies may be formed from any'ofmany suitable materials. I have found that a simple form of the devicefor some uses can be made from a single piece of tough paper orcardboard, folded upon scored lines outlining the panels or faces whichconstitutethe tetrahedron bodies, and forming flexible hinge connectionsbetween the bodies. In this form of the device the overlapping parts ofthe scored blank are secured together by adhesive or other suitablemeans. Whatever the materials or means of construction employed it ischaracteristic of the invention that each tetrahedron body is connectedto its adjoining bodies by hinge joints extending angularly to eachother.

The article may be used in a continuous straight series ofconnectedbodies in which it has the characteristics of flexibleshafting, but preferably the two ends of the series of flexiblyconnected tetrahedron bodies are flexibly united into an. endlessseries, in which form it. is possible to simultaneously rotate theconnected bodies. upon their individual axes, producing an amusing andconfusing manipulation having the appearanc of turning the articleinside out, or the reverse. u

' The improved article of manufacture whether made of folded paper orotherwise may be employed in various forms as a toy, or it may be usedasan advertising medium and also as a toy In any of its uses, it isintended; to. decorate the outer faces of the triangular panels formingthe tetrahedron bodies either with pictures or educational informationor with advertising matter.

In order that the invention may be fully under.- stood, it will firstbedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the noveltyafterwards pointed out in'the annexedyclaims.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a top perspective Viewv of the presentinvention in the form in which six tetrahedron bodies, formed from afolded single sheet of material, are flexibly connected in a continuousseries, capable of turning inside out and vice versa. Figure 2 is a planview of the same. Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same looking inthe direction of the arrow 3 of Figure 2.

' Figure 4 is a plan view of a scored blank of sheet material, such aspaper, from which the article of Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 is made.

Figures and 6 areadditional views of the device of the form of Figures1., 2 and 3, showing different positions assumed by the tetrahedronbodies when they are rotated upon their respective axes, in relation toeach other.

Figure '7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the section line 'l-'!of Figure 2, showing the coupling flexible joint between the two ends toform an endless series.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a modified or line form of the foldedpaper article.

Figure 9 is a plan view of a scored blank. sheet from which the articleof Figure 8' is produced.

In producing the folded paper form of the improved article, a.v sheet ofsuitable material, such as a fairly stiff, tough paper, indicated inFigure 4, is scored to outlines. plurality of series of re-- verselyarranged. triangular panels, each series having five such panelsextending transversely of the blank. The first, third and fifth of thetransverse series of panels is each indicated by numerals 2, 3, 4, 5 and6 in Figure 4. The second, fourth and sixth transverse series isindicated by numerals 'l, 8, 9, l0 and H. These series of tri angularpanels are continued throughout the blank, depending upon the number oftetrahedron bodies it is desired to form in the connected series. InFigure 4, it will be observed the blank has been scored to form sixtransverse series of uniform triangular panels, three of them beingindicated by numerals 2 to 6, and the other three being indicated bynumerals I to II. In producing the folded paper article ofcontinuousform, it is necessary to have an even number of tetrahedron bodies tofacilitate the connecting up of the series in continuous form, but wherethe article is to be used in its extended line formation, it isimmaterial whether there is an even or an odd number of connectedbodies,nor. how long a series is formed. I I

In the scored blank of Figure 4, the triangular panels are of theisosceles triangle shape, the shorterbases of the'triangles extendingtransversely of the blank and-constituting the hinge or flexible joint.lines of union between the finished tetrahedron bodies. The transversehinge lines are indicated at l2. The elongated or side edges of theisosceles triangle panels, extending diagonally of the length of theblank, are indicated at l3 and I4 in Figure 4.

In folding the scored blank, the outer faces of those triangular panelsof both series marked 2 to 5 and I to ID, constitute the outer'or'exposed faces' of the completed tetrahedron bodies. The scoring orweakening of fold lines I3 and M of the blank permits all of the outertriangles or flaps ishing size.

numbered 6 and I I to be folded inwardly upon their score lines I3 andI4, which is followed by all of the adjacent panels 5 and I being foldedupon their scored lines I3 and I4, panels 4 and 9 upon their scoredlines, and 3 and 8 upon their scored lines; and the completion of thefolding operation overlaps all of the outside panels 2 and 1 upon panelflaps 6 and I I. The adjacent faces of triangles, panels 2 and 6 and Iand I I throughout the series, are then securely fastened together inany suitable manner, preferably by adhesive.

At the end of the blank, shown in Figure 4, it will be noted that theterminal triangular flap I I has an integral flap I Ia which ispresented against the inner face of a panel 8 to which it is gluedalongside of the crease line that separates it from the terminal panelor flap I.

The terminal triangle or flap 'l'has an integral projecting flap I5formed with in-turned edge flanges I6 to constitute a connecting tonguethat is inserted in the slot between the base edges of panels 6 and 4 atthe opposite end of the series.

The adjacent faces of flap or tongue I 5 and panel B are securedtogether by adhesive, thereby producing a continuous or connected seriesof six tetrahedron bodies in the preferred form in which it is shown inthe drawings.

Considering the illustrations in Figures 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, it will beobservedthat points marked A, B and C of the connected tetrahedronbodies may be moved inwardly and downwardly from the position shown inFigure 5 to bring them into the position shown in Figure 6, and bycontinuing this rotating movement upon the individual axes of thetetrahedron bodies, said points A, B and C will move to a centralposition, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, and from'there said pointswill pass beneath and then outwardly, finally arriving at the startingpoint referred to with reference to Figure 5. In this rotation of thetetrahedron bodies, they move upon their flexible joints or hinges whichextend at right angles to each other at opposite ends of each of thebodies, producing in effect universal joints which permit continuousrotation of the bodies upon their respective axes and around animaginary geometrical outline made up of the series of axes which are ineffect arranged upon cords of arcs concen-' trio with the imaginarycenter around which the connected bodies are arranged.

It will be observed that the transverse flexible joints upon the linesI2 are re'enforced, these joints between panels 5, I0 and 3, 8 being inthe completely formed article two plies of the material, while theflexible joints between triangles 2, I; 4, 9; and 6, II are formed bythree plies of the material.

Referring to Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings, it will be observed thatin this modification the series of flexibly connected'tetrahedron bodiesare not of uniform size but are of graduated size from one end to theother of the series, each body, however, being made up of four uniformtriangular panels, as in the preferred form. In the blank in Figure 9,the series of triangles are scored with the fold lines upon the sameplan as described with reference to Figure 4, but since the triangularpanels gradually decrease in size from the large end, there will beproduced flexibly connected tetrahedron bodies of a similar dimin- Inthis formof the invention, the straight series of connected terahedronbodies may be decorated to indicate roughly a mechanical snake in whichthe vertical and horizontal joints provide practically universalmovement between the connected sections.

While the drawings and specification illustrate and describe theinvention as made from a folded sheet of material, I would have itunderstood that it is not intended to limit the invention to thisembodiment, nor to the specific details employed in carrying out theillustrated embodiment.

In its broadest aspect the present invention comprises a plurality ofconnected relatively movable tetrahedron bodies arranged end to end, and

' having each body flexibly connected at its opposite ends withcontiguous ends of adjacent bodies. Theimproved device may be made ofone or a plurality of pieces of material, and the bodies which areflexibly connected as stated may be hollow or solid without departingfrom the spirit of this invention. I

I claim:- v

1. An article of the character described comprising a plurality oftetrahedron bodies'flexibly hinged together in an endless series arounda common center, with the hinges at opposite ends of each body extendingat an angle to each other and all of said bodiesbeing simultaneouslyrotatable upon their respective axes. V

2. An article of the character described comprising a plurality oftetrahedron bodies flexibly connected together end to end in anapproximately circular endless series and all of said bodies rotatablesimultaneously upon their respective longitudinal axes.

3. An article of the character described comprising a plurality oftetrahedron bodies flexibly hinged together end to end in an endlessseries.

4. An article of the character described comprising a plurality offlexibly connected hollow tetrahedron bodies formed of a single foldedsheet of material having flexible joints of'integral plural plymaterial. 7

5. An article of the character described comprising a single sheet ofmaterial folded to form a flexibly connected series of end to end hollowtetrahedron, bodies having alternating two-ply and three-ply flexibleconnections uniting said bodies along contiguous edges.

6. An article of manufacture comprising a plurality of connectedrelatively movable tetrahedron bodies arranged end to end and havingeach body flexibly connected at its opposite ends with contiguous endsof adjacent bodies.

7. An article of manufacture comprising a connected series oftetrahedron bodies arrangedend to end and having opposite angularlydisposed base edges of each body flexibly connected to contiguoussimilar angular edges of adjacent bodies. a

8. An article ofmanufacture comprising a plurality of uniformtetrahedron bodies flexibly connected together along contiguous edges inan endless series around a common center with adja- 11. An article ofthe character described comprising a connected series of tetrahedronbodies having uniform faces the shape of an isosceles triangle, adjacentmembers of said series being flexibly connected together upon theircontiguous base edges.

12. An article of the character described comprising a connected seriesof end to end uniform tetrahedron bodies having uniform isosceles tri-10 angle faces, said bodies having opposite angularly disposed endsdefining the base lines of said triangular faces, and flexible hingeconnections between contiguous ends of adjacent bodies of said series.

13. An article of the character described comprising a plurality offlexibly connected end to end hollow tetrahedron bodies havingreenforced flexible joints, the whole being formed of a single foldedsheet of material.

RALPH M. STALKER.

